Captain's Quarters looks at the practical advantages of being either a Republican and Democrat after indictment.

From Poll Dancing, which had a thirty minute interview with the candidate. "Remember that she won both states despite signing a pledge with the other Democratic candidates not to campaign there -- and remember too that, as a result, her name was the only name on the Michigan ballot."

Hillary Clinton lashed out at Barack Obama for distributing what she called "blatantly false" campaign literature.

Clinton jabbed the air with her hands as she told a crowd in Cincinnati, Ohio, that two Obama mailings spread lies about her positions on universal health care and the North American Free Trade Agreement.
"Shame on you, Barack Obama," she said.
Polls show Clinton and Obama are in statistical dead heats in delegate-rich Ohio and Texas, which both hold votes March 4. With Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland nodding in agreement behind her, Clinton accused Obama of emulating the tactics of Karl Rove, President Bush's former political director who is reviled by Democrats. Obama "is continuing to send false and discredited mailings with information that is not true to the voters of Ohio," Clinton said.

"Sen. Obama knows it is not true that my plan forces people to buy insurance even if they can't afford it," she said.

13 Comments:

Hoffa for ObamaThe unexpected endorsement of Barack Obama by Teamsters President James Hoffa followed private indications by Bill Clinton that the 19-year federal monitoring of the big union under a court decree would not be ended under a Hillary Clinton presidency.

Hoffa previously had told friends he probably would stay neutral in the presidential race. He changed his mind, according to union sources, partly because of pro-Obama sentiment among rank-and-file Teamsters and partly because of former President Clinton's attitude about the consent decree.

"Obama has indicated willingness to end federal oversight of the Teamsters." Refusal by President George W. Bush to do so helped sour his administration's relations with the union.

John McCain's presidential campaign strategists are frantically preparing for "severe" damage to his candidacy after learning of three former hotel employees who accuse the Senator and presumed Republican nominee of sexual misconduct.

A pattern of abuse is alleged to have occured in two stops on McCain's fabled "Straight Talk Express," whose candor began resonating in 2000 with social conservatives, prior to George W. Bush persuading them. The McCain camp is hectically preparing responses to the feared lurid conversations on an audio recording mailed to major media sources Friday night. Critical to McCain's campaign strategy is appealing to conservative grassroots, and some strategists worry this scandal may make such a goal all but impossible.

While the McCain presidential campaign has issued no statements specifically responding to the accusations, it is believed the pending uproar will demand different tactics from the favored GOP frontrunner. Sources inside the RNC suggest this information is damaging enough to undermine his Republican nomination.

The first recording features a confession by a "17 year old bellhop," who alleges the "Maverick" Senator plied him with alcohol, reflections on policy issues and "heroic stories," even describing his hotel uniform as "[cutting] a strapping figure." The bellhop, who met the Senator at a hotel in Chicago, claims a McCain staff member gave him money on behalf of the Senator, after McCain remarked, "let's see how you clean up?"

Each of the three voices on the recording have been described as "distinct" by familiar sources, and are said to refer to three individuals testifying to a private investigator. The most worrisome of the three originates from a man identified as "a part-time valet," who claims the Senator invited him into his motorcade. There he asked a Secret Service agent to pour them drinks. "Senator [McCain] was sitting across from me. He got the agent to leave and then he leaned towards me and whispered, "I don't want any faggy shit. I just wanna see you jerk off. How about that, son?"

S: The Senator saw me as his entourage returned to his floor. We were delivering ice from the floor below, as the machine on his floor had malfunctioned. This was as per directions from one of his staff supervisors who we took orders from.

PI: Is it normal for you to work closely with VIPs?

S: We try to stay behind the scenes but we immediately service urgent requests.

PI: And what requests were made of you at this time?

S: I was requested by this head of staff to visit with the Senator.

PI: Was anyone else with you when this happened?

S: There were Secret Service agents around, but at this point it was myself, the female supervisor and the Senator.

PI: Where did you meet the Senator?

S: I was taken to his room where I waited outside while he finished a number of phone calls.

S: McCain had ordered room service, unbeknownst to me. We had several drinks, although the Senator did not seem affected. In retrospect I'm wondering if his were more watered down or if there was even booze in them.

PI: Was anyone else in the room during this period?

S: No, we were left entirely alone all of a sudden. The activity that was constantly ongoing ceased once I was with the Senator.

PI: When did the Senator begin making advances?

S: My speaker phone went off when a co-worker asked me where I was. He stepped very close to me and put his hand on the hip where my cell phone was hung and asked me to "get rid of that little distraction."

PI: Were you comfortable with the Senator's actions?

S: I was surprised at first. It seemed harmless enough.

PI: What happened afterwards?

S: The Senator put down his drink and began tightening my tie. He stepped back and said "Look at you now!" I was not sure what to do. He saw that I was uncomfortable and tried to change the atmosphere by telling politically incorrect jokes.

PI: Did you find these jokes offensive?

S: Yes, I believe Senator McCain presumed he was in safe company to talk about the NAFTA highway and asian ethnic stereotypes.

PI: What did the Senator say about Asians-Americans?

S: Not Asian-Americans, just Asians in general. He said they were hard to trust basically. Nothing that bad, I guess.

PI: Did he know you were a progressive?

S: No, I do not believe the Senator did.

PI: Who did you vote for in 2004.

S: I did not vote then.

PI: Are you an Obama supporter?

S: I've supported Ron Paul but will likely support Obama.

PI: Did you discuss this with Senator McCain?

S: Yes, although it was difficult with the alcohol.

PI: What can you remember of your exchanges?

S: That he'd frequently touch my shoulder or run his fingers down along my arm. Small things, but they happened alot and made things awkward.

PI: Did you ever feel threatened by McCain?

S: No, but in retrospect I get the shivers. I worry about what he could have done to me in there without anyone else finding out.

PI: What do you mean?

S: Well, Senator McCain had plied me with mixed drinks, cosmos, chocolate martinis and stuff like that. He took the hat from my uniform and began wearing it and he wasn't shy about running his hands through my hair.

PI: Is that all he did?

S: He began standing close to me when I was talking and sniffing me. Out of nowhere he asked me if I work out and if I had a six pack.

PI: Do you have a six pack?

S: I'm pretty fit, yeah.

PI: Was that all he said?

S: Yeah, but he eventually asked me to take off my uniform and "show" him "what ya got there"

PI: Did you comply?

S: I was nervous and was hesitant. The Senator then reached down the front of my pants, asking me again "whatcha got there?"

PI: What happened next?

S: I panicked and fled.

PI: Did you leave the hotel?

S: Yes, I left the Sofitel and did not return until my shift on Tuesday.

PI: Did you talk to anyone about the incident?

S: I told a close co-worker but I've not told my managers. Its impossible to sound credible when you come out with accusations like this.

Sen. McCain is a war veteran, and a survivor of five years in POW camps in Vietnam. He was starved and tortured.

One consequence of this is that he cannot lift his arms much above his shoulders. They were broken during one of his interrogations.

In general it seems extremely unlikely that McCain was either interested in or capable of such acts and words, to any of the parties in question.

If he were, I would actually regard that as an encouraging sign of life, energy, vitality. Meanwhile, get us film and we'll talk. Until then this cannot be attempted to be taken seriously.

When the scandalmongering of an affair with an adult female failed to harm the Senator, the stakes were simply raised and now it's pedophilia. Next we hear about bestiality or a murder or something, after this fails.